aurora

noun

au·​ro·​ra ə-ˈrȯr-ə How to pronounce aurora (audio)
ȯ-
plural auroras or aurorae ə-ˈrȯr-(ˌ)ē How to pronounce aurora (audio)
ȯ-
Synonyms of aurora
1
: dawn
2
Aurora : the Roman goddess of dawn compare eos
3
: a luminous phenomenon that consists of streamers or arches of light appearing in the upper atmosphere of a planet's magnetic polar regions and is caused by the emission of light from atoms excited by electrons accelerated along the planet's magnetic field lines
auroral
ə-ˈrȯr-əl How to pronounce aurora (audio)
ȯ-
adjective
aurorean
ə-ˈrȯr-ē-ən How to pronounce aurora (audio)
ȯ-
adjective

Synonyms of aurora

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Examples of aurora in a Sentence

a gorgeous pink aurora aroused us out of our slumber
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The short summer nights, combined with this week’s full moon, may also make faint aurora harder to see, with a faint display likely only be visible to those who photograph the northern lights with a phone. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 But if geomagnetic storm activity ramps up, more states could experience auroras. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 30 July 2026 The town of Churchill is also located below the auroral oval, a region centered around Earth’s magnetic poles where auroras most persistently occur. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 26 July 2026 Entries include photographs of auroras, galaxies and landscapes of Earth’s moon. — Sneha Dhandapani, CNN Money, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for aurora

Word History

Etymology

Latin — more at east

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aurora was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing aurora

Rhymes for aurora

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Browse Nearby Words

aurocyanide
aurora
Aurora
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Cite this Entry

“Aurora.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aurora. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Geographical Definition

Aurora

geographical name

Au·​ro·​ra ə-ˈrȯr-ə How to pronounce Aurora (audio)
ȯ-
1
city in north central Colorado east of Denver population 325,078
2
city west of Chicago in northeastern Illinois population 197,899
3
town north of Toronto in southeastern Ontario, Canada population 53,203

More from Merriam-Webster on aurora

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about aurora

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